To Be a Legend
by Nikki Firesong
Summary: Join Gold and her sister, Leaf, as the two Sinnoh natives travel across Kanto for an epic summer vacation. Together, they take on the gym challenge, and end up fighting an evil team that was once thought to be disbanded. Along the way, their rival Blue learns what it means to be a true Pokemon Master. Based off of an old playthrough of Fire Red.
1. Chapter 1

_To Be a Legend _

_Chapter One: A New Adventure Begins! _

**Night- ? **

It was a hauntingly rainy evening in January. The streets of the once active city where empty, save for a few Grimers and Rattata's who were scurrying around. Though, if there was one thing that clashed with everything else around it, it was a large, black vehicle that sped quickly past the concrete streets.

The occupants inside were unable to be seen from the outside, for they wanted to get the job finished as quickly as possible. The man who sat next to the driver was tall, largely built in his late forties. The dark circles and wrinkles under his eyes made him look much older, due to an overload of work and many past regrets. However, he was starting anew, and this time he made a silent pledge to not fail.

Breathing once through his nose, he held up a hand to the driver. "This is as far as you can take me," He bowed in thanks, "If I'm not back within the hour, you may leave."

The second human, who was much younger with light brown hair and an innocent face, smiled thinly. "As you wish, Mr. Giovanni," His feet splashed in a puddle as he exited and didn't look back at the boy.

He kept a steady pace while he made his way through the deserted city, throwing his coat over his head so the rain doesn't hit him. If the directions that were given to him were accurate, the laboratory should be close by now.

A clash of thunder caused him to flinch and he quickened his walk. _To create the perfect world, _he mused solemnly, as he remembered a certain madman. _One would have to be incredibly brave and absolutely idiotic. I, thankfully, obtain none of those characteristics. _His eyes darkened when he finally came across what he was looking for, and paused. He had long since departed the city, and now he was in the middle of a jungle. In front of him, was a large, cement building, with vines and shrubs growing on either side of it. The place was well hidden, unable to be seen by the average human eye.

Rapping his fist on the door, he waited for someone to open it. When no one answered within a few minutes, he began to grow frustrated, and knocked again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Came a voice from the other side, causing Giovanni let out a sigh of relief. The man who appeared before him bore a pleasant smile. He was older than him, probably in his late sixties, with snow white hair and a nicely-trimmed beard. He only wore a messy, white lab coat, and brown boots. Though, despite the friendly greeting, his face was cold, and his eyes tired from grief. "Ah, Giovanni! I wasn't expecting you to visit."

The man chuckled softly and shrugged, "Would I ever need a purpose to see my old colleague and friend? Times are getting more and more difficult, I'm sure you're well aware."

"Yes, indeed," the elder sighed, "Don't wait out in the rain, now. Get in here."

"Many thanks, Fuji," Giovanni said honestly. The two had walked in a comfortable silence past the small living area, and made their way towards the tiny kitchen. He had prepared a cup of coffee which Giovanni accepted, and the two continued on. Doctor Fuji turned on the lamplight as they walked down the narrow staircase. "So," He began again, his expression serious, "How are the experiments coming along?"

The doctor paused in his step for one moment before sighing, and continued to walk. "Nothing new has changed, Giovanni. Mewtwo is still in a constant state of rest, same goes for Charmandertwo, Bulbasaurtwo, and Squirtletwo. I have no idea how to speed up the process, in fear that something else would go wrong."

"What about Amber?" He asked now, but Doctor Fuji didn't reply. He gasped silently for he almost tripped onto the floor below him, though he caught himself. Grunting, he shook his head, and examined the lab while taking a sip of his drink. The warm tea calmed his throat, but not his aching heart. Large tubes were placed perpendicular from each other in the center, with many scientists taking notes around them. His old friend had left his side, and was now looking over another scientists' shoulder, at a computer.

"It's just like all the other clones, Doctor… it hasn't gained consciousness."

Giovanni could practically feel the disappointment coming from the old man, and he shivered. He didn't move from his place.

"I just don't understand; her other vitals are strong…" No sooner had these words left the doctor's mouth, one of the computer consoles nearby uttered a series of high-pitched beeps. The two, including Giovanni, left the cylinder and strode over to the console responsible, currently being seen to by a brown-haired woman with her hair in a ponytail. This computer had a wide monitor containing five charts, each one of them a mass of pink, blue and green fluctuating at different rates. During the past few minutes, those rates had became even more agitated.

Giovanni's eyes grew wide with shock. "What's that?" He asked, finally finding his voice.

"I-I'm not sure," The woman replied, anxious. "But Mewtwo and Ambertwo seem to be communicating with each other."

Doctor Fuji clenched his fists, his lips turning into a thin line. "But… _how_?"

Distracting himself from the conversation, he glanced over at the other clones. They were still, seemingly lifeless, and unmoving.

"They could be using telepathy," The female scientist suggested.

_Telepathy? Surely such a thing was not possible—telepathy was a means of communication only used by psychic types… wasn't it? _Doctor Fuji left the woman at the computer and walked purposefully across the lab, prompting Giovanni to follow him with his eyes. As he wandered past the tank holding Mewtwo, the man's gaze alighted upon the one next to it. Somehow he had not noticed this container before, despite it looking vastly different from everything else. There was no orange fluid or multiple wires, just seemingly empty space. Suspended in the central portion of this space was something most beautiful… and quite unsettling.

A pulsating force of yellow and red, the living flame of a being whose appearance he could not see. He watched in grief as the madman refused to leave the tank containing the pulsing light, reaching up his hand and stroking it against the glass in some vain hopes to caress the essence within.

"Please… please let my theories be true," He murmured, "I must see my little girl smile again."

"Fuji," Giovanni grunted, shaking his head in disdain. The doctor had only gone along with this little project to see if he could revive his daughter, but it was clear to anyone in that moment that their efforts were fruitless.

Then, in a second, everything began to collapse. The scientist at the computer shut her eyes from the horror. "We're losing all readings from Charmandertwo."

"No…" The doctor whispered, only Giovanni could hear it.

"Bulbasaurtwo and Squirtletwo are fading the same way."

"_No."_

For the first time in his life, he couldn't move to help his friend. He stood frozen in time, his old eyes unblinking from the sight before him.

"Doctor… we're, losing her too."

"NO!"

It was all for naught. Fuji had collapsed onto the ground in his sorrow, taking most of the expensive equipment with him. His many scientists and friends huddled around him, trying their best to calm the man. Heaving a deep sigh, the boss of Team Rocket made a quick escape from the laboratory, never to be seen again. _Fools… the world…. Is blinded by fools, _He clenched his fists angrily and ran back towards the deserted city.

**Morning- Pallet Town 9:07am (Several years later) **

Platinum Diamond loved the country, homey feel that Kanto gave. Even though it was different of what she was used to growing up, this was the perfect getaway for her and her children. It may be lacking in the technology era, but that didn't matter; fresh air and sun were also necessary for a child's well-being. She was a hip, sprightly woman in her early thirties, with long flowing blue hair that went down to her knees, but she held it up in a bun. She wore her favorite red, form-fitting top and a comfortable pair of pants. She was beautiful, yes, though she also a diva and would smack any man who tried to flirt with her if he wasn't her husband.

"Hehehe," She giggled as she remembered both of her daughters' reactions when she told them that their father bought a house for summer break. He had to stay back home however, and continue to work on Pokémon evolution in Professor Rowan's old laboratory—they needed it more than he did.

"Ah~," She sighed, taking off her glasses to glance over at her Pokémon, Lucario. She, unlike other Lucario's of her stature, wore pretty red ribbons on both of her ears, and was a bright, shiny yellow. She also had a scar going down her left eye from a nasty fight with a Houndoom back in the day, but that's another story. "Do you think we should be getting back now, Aura?"

"Luca, Lucario," Aura muttered.

Platinum rolled her eyes; even though she didn't really understand what her old friend said, she picked up on the annoyance. "Fine, fine. We'll wait." Secretively, the young mother had been planning to allow her children to start a Pokémon journey, but she wasn't sure which the safest route to go was. The Professor had retired two years ago, and had suggested that Kanto would be the ideal way to begin. It was about time to, because her girls were already starting to beg their mother for a Pokémon of their own.

"Gold, you said I could watch 'Triassic Park' next! Gimme the remote!"

"Five more minutes, five more minutes, five more minutes!"

"You said that twenty minutes ago! Moooom! Where's mom?! Gold's hogging the flat screen again!"

She giggled and completely took off her glasses now, blinking her sea blue eyes. She nodded to Aura, who reluctantly stood up as well. "Guess it's time to officially start the day. Ready, girl?"

"Lucario!"

Smiling, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Gold, Leaf, if you don't shut off the TV and get dressed within the next twenty minutes so help me I'll come up there and do it myself." Platinum tried her best to hold in her laughter as the two girls shrieked, and by the thumping sounds coming from the top floor, she knew they were getting things ready. She nodded once and made her way into the two bedroom house with her trusty shiny Lucario following.

It wasn't long before everyone made their way into the main kitchen, a large, fancy area with new appliances. She had just started making a wonderful meal of bacon and toast when she heard her first daughter, the eldest twin, tumble down the stairs, and collapsed onto the floor with a giant resounding THUD. Gold was defiantly her father's daughter, without a doubt. She had long, wavy blonde hair held up in a ponytail. She wears a simple, light orange cardigan on top of a white T-shirt, and an old pair of ripped jeans. She was spunky, hyper-active, and loved adventuring into the great outdoors. She never sits still for anything, so it's hard keeping up with her sometimes. But, she had a kind heart, and whenever someone was in danger –may it be Pokemon or human- she dropped what she was doing to help them.

"Good morning, momma." She winced, grinning up at her sheepishly.

Platinum smiled and nodded over to the cabinet. "Good morning, sleepy head. Since you're here first, why don't you set up the table?"

"Guh, I always fall for that…" She grumbled, but with a yawn, she obeyed. Gold absentmindedly patted another Pokemon's head, a Manectric by the name of Zeus. He grinned and wagged his two tails happily. He stole a glance at the pretty Umbreon as the human walked past him, and when she looked at him, he quickly looked back at the floor.

Walking down at a much slower pace was the youngest by only three minutes, Leaf. She has short, spiky brown hair and wears a white cap she got from a carnival one year. She usually wears glasses for distance, but she doesn't like having them on often, for she feels it clashes with her style. She loves wearing her purple sweater vest and a light red skirt every day, something that she picked up from her mother. She was a calm, quiet girl and was the one who got her sister out of sticky situations. The two were polar opposites, but they still loved each other to the ends of the Earth, and that's something Platinum was grateful for.

"You girls know by now: no TV in the morning. There's things to do, and it can take up more time than you'd like." She tisked at them, to which they bowed their head in regret.

"Empol, Emp, Empolion." The large water type Pokemon agreed, folding his wings in an intimidating fashion.

There was an Umbreon resting peacefully on the countertop, and she opened her one eye to glare at him. "Umb, Umbre."

Gold and Leaf giggled when they looked back up, neither ashamed of their actions. There were two more family members missing from the scene, who were snuggling together on the living room couch. They were an odd couple; a female Gardevoir and a male Staraptor, but somehow they had stuck together throughout many years, not minding that neither of them were in the same Egg Group. Adoption was always on the menu.

The Gardevoir giggled and nudged her lover, "Gar, gar, garde, Gardevoir."

He let out a large yawn and stretched his wings. "Star, Staraptor."

Platinum eased a soft smile at her old friends and set six plats of Pokémon food next to each other, giving each of her partners an affectionate rub when they came by. Sometimes she finds it hard to believe that all of them were fully evolved, powerful, pocket monsters. They each had their weaknesses and strengths, but if it was one thing that was for sure, they were one big happy family. Well... most of the time.

"Mmm, awesome job mom! This is great!" Gold commented, diving into her food again. Leaf chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Don't eat so fast, you don't wanna choke again." She frowned, though she knew her twin sister wouldn't listen.

The mother giggled as she continued to eat her own meal. She was about to get a glass of water when the door burst open, revealing a young boy the same age as her daughter's. Blue was an arrogant, savvy twelve year old that lived next door. He was the first friend that the twins ever made when they moved to Kanto for the summer, and let's just say he didn't really make the best impression on Platinum and Leaf. Though, with an apology and a promise to clean up his act, he was welcome over the Diamond household whenever he wanted. He has auburn hair that's shaped nicely in the back, and usually wears a dark (fake) leather jacket with green army pants.

"IT'S READY, GOLD!"

Gold sprayed the water she was drinking all over the table. "Are you serious? The old man finally got it done?"

Blue nodded his head vigorously, his fists shaking in excitement, "Gramps said we could pick it up today, and we could even get a Pokémon!" he snickered, "I'm going to get there first so I can get the better type and kick your ass!"

"Not if I get there before yo-!"

"_Gold Millicent Diamond_!"

She tripped over her shoes, falling onto the floor. "Yes, momma?"

She pointed to the table, "Before you do anything, pick up your plate and clean it in the sink. And Blue, be a dear and close the door. You're letting the flies in."

He gulped, knowing not to mess with the lady. "S-sure, Mrs. Diamond."

With that said and done, the two friends hurried out of the house before Platinum could say anything more. Leaf smiled and finished her meal, for she was ready to grab her sketchbook upstairs and draw outside. Deep down, she really wanted to have a Pokémon of her own; her sister sure was lucky, but she felt as if she needed to stay here, with her mother.

Platinum sensed her daughter's hesitation and frowned, folding her arms on her chest. "Why aren't you following them, sweetheart?"

Leaf glanced up, "O-oh… I just thought that I should let Gold have the fun. Besides, I don't think I'm cut out for gathering all of the Gym Badges… I wouldn't wanna hold her back…" She twiddled with her thumbs nervously.

Her mother laughed and pulled her into a hug, "Oh dearest, if you're worried about me being home alone, I'll be fine. I've got my Pokémon. Let me tell you a little secret," She winked, "Your father and I had planned to come to Kanto for this very reason. We know how much you two have been begging for a Pokémon, and we figured that this place was the best way to start. It's a win-win! I get a vacation, and you girls get to go on a journey! Maybe even find a boyfriend along the way too."

Leaf felt tears glisten in her eyes, "R-really mom? You did this all for us?"

She nodded, "Yup. Now, git on out there before I throw you out. You can thank me later."

The twelve year old girl's eyes sparkled in excitement, and she hugged her mom even tighter. Giggling, she smiled at the other Pokémon before taking her leave, slamming the door behind her.

"Those were the days," Platinum smiled. Her eyes lit up then, and she turned to face her team who were finished with their breakfast. "So! Who's ready for an intense game of Spoons? I know I am!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter two: Fire, Grass, or Water?_

An old woman in her late eighties was enjoying the sun on her porch, a newspaper in her hands. It was so peaceful, so quiet, that she might as well stay the whole day here until that idiotic husband of her daughter comes to help…

"Hey! Watch it, Gold!"

"Get out of my way, jerk! You're ruining my personal space bubble!"

CRASH!

She just had to jinx it. The old lady winced as the two children ran into her garden, her beautiful dandelions smashed to smithereens. She got up and shook her fist at them, "Gah! You stinky kids, that's the last time ah'm lettin' you run into mah beautiful garden!" She grabbed her trusty broom and began to rush towards the two, "GET OUT!"

A cold sweat started to make its way on Blue's head, "It's every man for himself now!"

"B-blue!" Gold whined, panting in exertion. She weakly glanced at the grandmother, "Sorry Mrs. Doubtfire."

She wasn't very accepting of the sympathy, "Hoodlums!"

Long story short, the two tweens hurried over to the Pokémon Lab that was a few blocks away in record time. Blue fell to the ground first in a heap, his arms spread across the marble. Gold tripped over the boy since she couldn't stop herself and tumbled into a pile of training books stacked in a corner.

Professor Oak gasped at the noise and glanced up from his work, raising an eyebrow at the odd sight before him. "Hmm? Ah! Gold, Blue, so glad you could make it! You see Red, I told you they would be able to come!"

Red, a young boy at the age of thirteen, rolled his eyes and went back to his computer. He was a close friend of Blue when they were children, though he was rarely seen outside due to the fact of always taking care of the Pokémon in the Lab. Keeping true to his name, he wore a dark red sweater and matching cap covering his hair, with navy pants and a black t-shirt. He wasn't at all into fashion and didn't feel the need to impress anyone. He wished he had a little bit more free time to hang out with Blue and the twins, but he was a workaholic at heart. Duty calls.

"They still managed to make a mess of this place, though." He grunted, giving the stink eye to Gold in particular. He could never understand why, but whenever she was in his presence he always had the nerve to hit something.

The girl dusted herself off and frowned once before giggling, "Hi Prof., Oak! Heya cutie!"

"Hnnnn…" Red seethed in return, blush on his cheeks, but said nothing else.

"Er—hem! Right. I believe everybody's here. Gold, Blue, I have a request for the two of you. I was a Pokémon battler in my time and had seen and experienced many great things. I have put that knowledge in books and lectures for the greater good, and have received questions from many other Professors in my league. Though, I am growing older now and I can't keep touring around the world. So this is where you come in. Both of you are of age to go on a journey of the Kanto region! I have three Pokémon here left from my adventures, and I know they'll prove to be useful. Well, what are you waiting for? Go on and choose!"

Blue snickered and puffed out his chest, "I've decided I'm not gonna be greedy like you and make the first move, so go on Gold! Ladies first!"

Red, who was merely pretending to be interested in his work looked up to see the blonde glare at him, "Fine, thanks asshole." Shaking her head, she looked up at the screen showing the three.

First up was the Grass type, Bulbasaur. It's a small, quadruped 'mon with green and bluish skin and dark patches. It's think legs each end with three sharp claws. It's eyes have red irises, while the sclera and pupils are white. Bulbasaur has a pair of small, pointed teeth visible when its mouth is open. It has a bulb on its back, grown from a seed planted there at birth. The bulb provides with energy through photosynthesis as well as from the nutrient-rich seeds contained within. These guys were the perfect for rookie trainers, and absolutely adorable, but Gold never liked grass type Pokémon as a whole, so she passed it on.

Second on the table was the Water type, Squirtle. It has large brown eyes and a slightly hooked upper lip. Each of its hands and feet have three pointed digits. The end of its long tail curls inward. It's body is encased by a tough shell that forms and hardens after birth. This shell is brown on the top, pale yellow on the bottom, and has a thick white ridge between the two halves. Now, while being an utterly adorable turtle in its own right, she didn't have a connection towards this one either, and shook her head. She'd already decided a long time ago of what her starter was going to be.

Last, but certainly not least, was the Fire type, Charmander. Charmander is a bipedal, reptilian Pokémon with an orange body, though its underside and soles are cream-colored. It has two small fangs visible in its upper and lower jaws and blue eyes. Its arms and legs are short with four fingers and three clawed toes. A fire burns at the tip of this Pokémon's slender tail, and has blazed there since Charmander's birth. The flame can be used as an indication of Charmander's health and mood, burning brightly when the Pokémon is strong, weakly when it is exhausted, wavering when it is happy, and blazing when it is enraged. Gold didn't wait a second to chose, her arms shaking in excitement and joy as she grasped the ball in her hand, smiling.

Professor Oak held up his hand, causing her to look at him, "Wait, if I'm not mistaken, there's something a little different about this one."

Gold raised her eyebrow, "Huh? What do yah mean?"

He grinned and nodded, "You'll see."

She frowned, but, taking a deep breath, she cried, "I choose you—"

The lizard-like 'mon hopped into the air once the light cleared, a sparkly aura circling around it, "Charmander!"

"Chaaaar!" It cheered, pumping its tiny fist. "_**Finally, I'm in the spotlight!" **_

Now the girl could see what he meant: this starter was a shiny one! Instead of the usual orange coat that most Charmanders had, this one was a bright, sunny yellow, matching her namesake. Gold's eyes sparkled with delight.

Oak laughed as Blue clapped sarcastically. "A wise choice. Though, you will have to be very patient with this particular one, she's very hasty in nature and is often lost in thought."

Blue smirked, "Hey, it's a match made in heaven, Gold!"

She ignored that statement, and looked down at her shiny partner, "So, you're a girl, huh? Okay! I'll name you Joey!"

Everybody paused, including Professor Oak's aides. "J-Joey?"

She nodded. "What? She looks like a Joey to me. Mom said you could give Pokémon nicknames if you wanted to, so I'm calling her Joey."

Red was the first to speak up now, pulling down his cap. "That's our Gold, we'll never understand her." He tried to ignore the fact that she was able to snag a shiny starter, and not him. It was odd how they were more common now than they ever were before.

She puffed out her cheeks, "Just bask in the glory of how awesome this nickname is."

Newly-proclaimed Joey thought the name over, and grinned, folding her arms. _Joey, huh? I would've gone for Blaze or Cinder or something like that, but I guess this is cool enough. And this trainer seems really fun, despite the vibe I'm getting from everybody else. I promise I'll protect you with my powerful Ember! I'll never let you down, Gold! _

The aged Professor nodded over to Blue, "It's your turn now, sonny. Which one will it be?"

He blinked, for he was just staring at the pair in shock, but he grinned. "I'm always going to be one step ahead of you baby, whether you like it or not, and this Pokémon will help me. I'm gonna go with Squirtle!" With a jerkish laugh, his new partner was released and stood tall beside him. Once he caught sight of Joey in Gold's arms, he smirked at her, and stuck his tongue out.

"Squirtle, Squirt!"He laughed, "_**You want this, don't ya?" **_

Joey felt fire burning up her throat. _Ooh! That little son of a…. _

"HAI! Sorry I'm so late!" No one was expecting Leaf Diamond to come bursting through the door in that moment, with two bags hanging on her shoulders. She blushed and played with her hair, realizing how loud that came out. "I-I was just helping my mom clean up breakfast. I would've come earlier, but eh…" she remembered something then, and made a face at her sister. "Can you please tell me why Mrs. Doubtfire was in a hissy fit?"

Gold ignored her, "Awesome, sis! You decided to go on a journey with us!"

She smiled and nodded, "Battling may not be my forte, but mom said it would be an excellent experience to help me grow as a person. Maybe later on I can travel back to Sinnoh and take a stab at being a Coordinator. But, let's face it: you need someone to keep ya in a straight line, Sis."

Gold laughed, not offended, "True, true."

Leaf turned to Professor Oak, "So there's no turning back for me now: I would like a Pokemon of my own, please!"

He smiled, pointing over to Bulbasaur, "There's one waiting for you on the shelf, my dear. I know you two will be quite the match." He then motioned toward Blue and Gold, "So, before I forget, I need to give you a Pokedex to save the data on each Pokemon you add to your team, and six extra Pokeballs to start. To be honest we only planned on having you two partake on this journey, so Gold, you would have to share with your sister."

She dipped her head in annoyance, "Aw, man…"

Leaf however, was more interested in getting her partner, and squealed in happiness when the cute grass type fell into her arms. "It's so adorable! Huh…?" She paused, taking a closer look, "Um, Professor? What's wrong with this Bulbasaur?"

"Eh?" Professor Oak walked over to her then, and sighed. He turned to Red, "Why don't you explain this one's back story, lad?"

Red shrugged, putting his hands behind his head. "The poor thing was found over in Johto, living with a bunch of Magikarp and its evolutionary line. We don't know how, but Bulbasaur here's eyes aren't properly aligned with each other. It's the human disease Strabismus, and we were debating on actually giving him to a Trainer, or letting him live here with the others. You would have to keep your wits about you when leveling him up, and in battle."

The twelve year old nodded slowly with a determined expression, "Don't worry! Erik and I will get along just fine, right boy?"

"Bulbaa…saur…" He yawned, smacking his lips. _**"I sure am hungry. What's for lunch?" **_

Gold raised her hand. "I've a question. What does Bulbasaur being raised by Magikarps have to do with anything?"

Red gave her a look, "If you haven't noticed, he's picked up on their derpy persona." Blue opened his mouth to comment, but he thought better of it, and shook his head.

"Well, I don't know about you dweebs, but I'm going to head home! Hey, Gold, my sister has an extra town map, but don't bother picking one up!" With a few more vulgar comments, and a smack in the head from his grandfather, he hurried out of the Pokémon Lab.

"That Blue…" Oak muttered, shaking his head. "Hopefully you two can shape him up."

Leaf smirked, "We will certainly try, right Gold?"

"Who has an awesome nickname? Yes! Yes, Joey does! Yes she does!" She was cooing, stroking the shiny Charmander's fur. Her sister rolled her eyes.

"Oookay… thanks for everything, Professor! C'mon Gold, let's show our new Pokémon to mom before we leave!"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah! Race ya home, sister!" Laughing to each other, the twins made their way out, shutting the door behind them.

"Hmhmhm, this is already turning out to be an interesting story, isn't Red? …Red?" Professor Oak snickered as his personal assistant fell asleep, leaning comfortably on his shoulder. With a yawn himself, the aged man gently carried Red onto a couch, and poured himself a cup of coffee. After all, brilliance needs a break every now and then.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter three: Gold vs. Blue! _

"Are you two just about ready to go?" Platinum asked now, her daughters rummaging through their closets.

The bedroom was an awfully large space with glass windows showing the outside forest. In the corner on the right was a bunk-bed, and next to it a large dresser. On the wall if you glanced to the right a TV was placed, with a Wii-console and old gameboy advanced system. Many plushies from cartoon shows of the twin's favorites were scattered around it. Lastly, the walls were painted a plethora of colors, the most being repeated was green and gold, and there was a Pikachu mat on the floor, with its evolutions printed next to it.

Gold was playing with her shiny Charmander, Joey, on the floor and Leaf was going through her backpack one last time.

"Hihihihi!" The blonde girl giggled as she picked up her starter, falling backwards onto the floor with it. She threw Joey up in the air, to which the Pokemon enjoyed in return with a goofy smile on her face. Leaf rolled her eyes; she returned her Bulbasuar just before they came into the house. If she was honest with herself, she was a little nervous about showing him off to her mother.

"In a minute, mom, I just need to find something…"

"Okay. I'll be in the kitchen, then." Platinum smiled, and blowing a kiss, she walked downstairs.

"Can ya believe it, sister? We finally get our own Pokemon! Gosh, it feels like a dream! Remember when we would have those mock battles in the backyard, and I always chose dad's Torterra and you would pick mom's Empoleon? That's _nothing_ compared to what's going to happen now! I'M SO HYPED." Gold cheered, jumping up on her feet then and holding Joey comfortably on her arm. She grabbed Leaf by the collar of her shirt, surprising her, "And the best part of it all, we're already experts!"

Leaf snorted, "Already? May I remind you that in that expensive Trainer's School mom took us too, you slept through every class. To this day I still don't understand how you beat me in that first battle—"

Gold held up her hand, "When there's a puddle on the ground and a bunch of leaves fall on it, they soak the water up. Therefore, Grass type Pokémon are always going to be stronger than water type Pokémon because of that. It's simple logic, Leafy."

"—but anyways, aren't you the least bit scared? I mean, sure I'd be excited if we were traveling around Sinnoh, but this is an entirely new region, with new and rare Pokémon! Heck, there could even be an evil organization forming like those Galaxy… Universe… -whatever they were called—guys that was going on during mom's journey with dad. People like them are scary, Gold."

Her sister eased a soft smile and placed Joey down on the dresser, and wrapped her arms around her. "Listen to me, Leaf. No matter what happens on this journey, we'll never be alone. If we ever get separated, we need to trust in ourselves, and in our Pokémon, to get through it! That's why I'm so happy! Because these awesome, wonderful, mysterious creatures are gonna be our friends~!"

"Char, char, Charmander!" Joey agreed, giving Leaf a thumbs' up. "_**She's right, we'll protect ya! Nothing will ever get past me!" **_

Leaf wiped her eyes and nodded, grinning at her sister. "You're right, Sis. We're going to have an awesome time. I'm sorry to be a party-pooper."

Gold smirked, folding her arms. "Hey, there's no need to worry—we have an extremely cute boy as my rival and to protect us too!"

Her sister turned beat red, "G-Gold!" _Aaand, you ruined it. _

"What? I'm only saying the truth. Besides, he's a good match for you. He's tons of fun, and you're no fun at all. Oho, I'll be silently shipping you two throughout this whole journey."

"J-joey! Use Ember on Gold!" Leaf wailed, pointing at her.

Joey scratched her head, "Char?"

Said twin laughed and grabbed her backpack before heading downstairs, and hugged her mother goodbye. Joey smirked and shared a look with Leaf before the two of them followed.

Platinum smiled at her daughters as she leaned against the door, with her Pokémon in pairs beside her. _May Arceus be with you, both now, when you're fighting battles, and when you're in your greatest moment of triumph, my dears… _With a nod, she watched them until they disappeared down the road to go back inside.

**Route 1 **

"Nidoran, use Poison sting!" Unimportant trainer cried, grinning like a Skitty. Our heroes were just beginning their journey, and it looks like things are heating up already for Gold. Leaf was sitting comfortably on the sidewalk, with her Bulbasaur cradled in her arms.

Gold was the other participant of the battle, with her Charmander strong and shining with confidence (no pun intended). "Right where we want 'em! Joey, use Scratch!"

During the long route that leads to a maze called Viridian Forest, Gold caught most of the Pokémon there was to see, adding two special ones to her team. The first was a cute little female Pidgey which she named Sora, and another was a Mankey she named Tyson. He was a tough battle especially, given that it was hard to counter his fighting type moves. Though, she managed, and Tyson proved to be a fun little guy to hang around, even if he did have a temper.

"Chaaaaar!" Joey cried, and giggling, slashed the female Nidoran's face. Her right eye twitched in annoyance.

"Wow! So fast!" The youngster exclaimed in awe, his eyes sparkling, "You weren't kidding when you said not to go easy on ya! Okay, Nidoran, try a Leer!"

Gold nodded once, "Let's try out your new move, Joey! Use Ember!"

The youngster gulped, "E-ember?!"

Within the blink of an eye, the flames acted as if they consumed the tiny mouse-like Pokémon, and it collapsed onto the ground. He groaned and held out it's Pokeball, "You take a good, long rest Nidoran. Return!" He smiled up at Gold, who was doing a victory dance with her Charmander. Leaf smacked her head. "That was an awesome match; I learned a lot from it."

She gave him a friendly wink and a thumb up, "Glad I could help! Say, would you by any chance know where I can catch one of those guys? I was thinking of adding it to my team."

He blushed and scratched the back of his head, "Well, alright. Since you won, I'll tell you."

Short story short, Gold found a male Nidoran and named him Shrek by Viridian City. Leaf laughed and commented that by the looks of it she's planning on completing the entire Pokedex, but her sister just stayed quiet and grinned at her.

Unsurprisingly, they ran into a familiar jerk. "Yo! I didn't think you'd actually make it this far."

Gold smirked, folding her arms. "Sorry to burst your bubble, honey, but here I am."

Blue reached for his Pokémon. "Hehehe. Well, I'm still one step ahead of you, but let's see how tough that wimpy Charmander of yours has gotten!"

"You're on!"

Leaf pouted and groaned, "Come on you two, I'm starving. Can't this wait until we get to Viridian?"

They ignored her, and following battle rules, separated a distance away from each other.

"…Right, I'm chopped liver here, I forgot." She huffed. Erik blinked. Shaking her head, she plopped herself down on the grass and took out her sketch book.

"_Let's shine today!_ Go, Shrek!" Gold exclaimed and sent out her newly caught Nidoran. He growled and landed steadily on his four feet.

"Nido, Nidoran!" He says, grinning. _**"I know this may be my first fight, but I'm not ready to lose!" **_

Blue laughed. "Squirtle, show her how tough we are!"

"Squirrrrtle!" The water type boasted, folding its stubby arms together. "_**It's butt-kicking time." **_

Gold pointed at the field, "Shrek, start off with Peck!"

"Nidooo!" The Poison Pin Pokémon cried, poking his horn in Squirtle's face.

"Hang in there, Squirtle! Use Withdraw!"

"Shrek! Double Kick!"

The two Pokémon collided attacks, causing Leaf to glance up in curiosity. Blue smirked and spread out his arms, "Okay, Squirtle, use Water Gun!"

"Quick, Nidoran! Counter it with Leer! We're not going down that easily!" Gold hid her face as the burst of water hit her Pokémon, and she glared up at her rival. "You'll be fined for that," She seethed as she returned the fainted Nidoran.

"Bring it, blondie."

"Joey! Avenge Shrek! C'mon!" She decried, and the shiny Charmander growled in agreement.

Blue laughed, running a hand through his auburn hair. "Sending out your worst for last. Alright—Squirtle, Water Gun again!"

Gold clenched her fists tight, as Leaf watched on in fascination. That determined look on her face… the way her eyes shined with excitement… she looked like their father, whom she missed dearly. She wondered what he will think of their performance so far. He would be proud, wouldn't he? Yeah; Leaf smiled. He would be so happy he'd be jumping up and down.

"Joey! Smokescreen!"

"Chaaaaar!" Smoke began to come from the lizard-like Pokemon's mouth, clouding Squirtle's vision and lowering his accuracy.

"Squirtle! Walk that one off! Continue firing your Water Gun!"

Water shot everywhere, hitting everyone but the shiny Charmander. "Char, Charmander." She smirked, "_**Let's finish this up." **_

"Okay, Joey! Use Scratch! You can do it!" With one final sweep, the turtle was down, circles in its eyes. Gold let out a cheer and grabbed her starter's paws to start yet another victory dance, while Blue slapped his head.

"Oh come on! Why did I have to pick such a weak Pokémon?!"

Leaf got up and folded her arms, glaring at the boy. "Squirtle's not weak, you're just a bastard."

Blue pouted, "Hey! I'm working on it!"

Gold laughed and returned Joey to her Pokeball, "Alright! Last one to Viridian City get's to pay for lunch!" She cheered, and pumping her fist, ran off down the road.

Leaf drooped her shoulders and fixed her glasses. _This is going to be SUCH a looooong journey. _With a strangled sigh, she trudged after her sister


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter four: Brock's rock-hard offences. _

**Viridian Forest **

"Gold, we're lost aren't we?" Leaf bemoaned.

The eldest twin blew a raspberry at her sister. "Pfft. Don't be ridiculous! I never get lost!"

She gave her a flat look, "We've past that same tree for the fifth time. So, we're lost."

The two girls have found themselves in the infamous Viridian Forest, where wild Caterprie's and Weedle's are up the wazoo. Stopping past the City was only a quick visit; they decided to move on since the Gym Leader was out and there wasn't much else to do. She literally had to pull her sister by the ear before any new ideas could pop into her brain.

Gold placed her hands on her hips, "All these trees look the same, Leaf. You never know."

Leaf could only shake her head in annoyance before grumbling to herself. "Whatever. You do what you want—I'm hungry for a snack."

The blonde puffed out her cheeks angrily as she checked the map once more, squinting as she did so. Why did these things have to be so confusing? All she saw was just a bunch of squiggly lines. She didn't want to admit to her sister that she was getting a little scared being here, since she had to be the brave one. Besides, it's just a forest, right? There's no immediate danger they were in. There's no need to worry. Yeah. She kept telling herself that.

As Leaf searched through her backpack for something to munch on, she didn't notice a Yellow Mouse Pokémon staring up at her from a branch. Its ears twitched, fixated on the food. Now, Pikachu was such an iconic figure in the Pokémon World, everyone knows that. Every trainer wanted to have one, given how easy they were to raise, and their strong physical attacks. Plus, one would be an idiot if they said that those guys weren't adorable, and would _scream_ if they came across it. But for Leaf, in that moment she didn't really care for the Pokémon. She just wanted to get out of this bloody forest, damnit.

"Uh… Leaf…" Gold mumbled, warily glancing at the Pikachu. She took a closer look and noticed that its ears were spiky, as was her tail. Her eyes sparkled for a moment until she glanced back at her sister. "Leeeaaaf…"

"Shut it, Gold. You know I eat when I'm upset." She grumbled, gobbling up her protean bar.

"Yeah, about that—"

"Piiiiikaaaa-CHU!" The Pokémon cried, and hopping from her branch, she swiftly snatched whatever was left from the bar.

"H-hey! I was eating that!" Leaf wailed, glaring at her.

"Pika, Pika." She smirked, happily munching on the treat. **"**_**Ya snooze, ya lose." **_

A vein bulged on her forehead, "Okay, I have had it! I'm tired, my feet are killing me, and the trees look like they're going to devour me at any given moment –which is creepy as heck! I'm going to take my anger out on you, you rotten thief!" Gold slapped her head, slowly bringing her hand down her face. Though, despite her annoyance at her sister, she was smirking. She sat down to watch the fight.

"Alright Erik, you can do it!" She exclaimed, maximizing the red Pokeball and chucking it into the air. The demented Bulbasaur was released then, and blinking a few times, he finally opened his opponent.

The Pikachu stared at him in confusion , tilting her head. "Pika?" _**"Um, hi?" **_

He grinned at her, "Bulba, Bulbasaur!" "_**I like chocolate milk." **_

"Piiiiii…." She replied, grimacing. "_**Okaaaay…"**_

"Erik, start this off with a Vine Whip!" Leaf exclaimed, and the Bulbasaur actually listened to her. He slashed leaves into the Pikachu's face, catching her by surprise.

"Pika! Pikachu!" She cried, obviously annoyed. "Kaaaa!" A weak bolt of lighting shot from her electric pouches.

"That's Thunder Wave, right there. Better get him out of the way sister." Gold commented, folding her arms.

"R-right. Erik, dodge it. Use Leech Seed!"

"Bulbaaaa!" He exclaimed, and with a derpy grin, allowed seeds to land all over the Pikachu. In turn, she started to swiftly make her way towards him again.

"And that's Quick Attack." Gold announced again, loving the frustrated look on her sister's face. She didn't say anything and just glared at her.

"Right where we want her! Okay, Erik, use Tackle!" The Bulbasaur nodded, doing what he was told, but somehow little birdies started to fly over his head. Pikachu stumbled backwards, but it was enough for Leaf to throw out a Pokeball, and have it recall her inside.

Gold stood up from her spot to get a closer look.

One… Two…. Three… _Ping!_ Little stars appeared out of the ball, signaling a successful capture.

"Yeah! I got my second Pokémon!" Leaf exclaimed, picking it up. "How'd ya like that, G?"

She shrugged, "Eh. I already have five Poké since I caught that Metapod, so I win. That Pikachu was right, you are a looser."

Leaf glared. "I'm giving you three seconds, Gold. Three. Seconds."

"To do what?" Gold blinked, but her eyes grew wide when she noticed her beloved sister wasn't laughing.

"One…"

"O-okay! I'llmeetyouinPewterCitybye!" Faster than fast, a trail of dust was at Gold's wake, which caused Leaf to giggle. She had a smile on her face until she remembered the pain her feet were in, and let out her signature groan.

* * *

Pewter City was a lot different than Pallet and Twinleaf. It was by the edge of a mountain, rocks and cobblestone decorated the many houses that the residents lived in. From a tourist viewpoint, Gold was outright bored with it. She skid to a halt once she saw the large museum an annoyed look on her face. Leaf rammed into her back.

"Leaf," Gold began, folding her arms. "You are not taking me over there. I am going straight to the gym." A wicked smile spread across her face as she brought her twin sister kicking and screaming towards the historic building.

"Good afternoon. That'll be fifty dollars for a child's ticket," The attendant said, to which the twins stared at her. Gold glanced around at the old Fossils and meteorites before sighing and pulled out the money. Somewhere between listening to an old man talk about his colored TV, and a little girl who wanted to see a Pikachu, Gold fell asleep. Leaf was listening to the radio tour when her twin finally woke up and the two finally made their way to the Gym.

"Stop right there! You're three-thousand light years away from Brock!" Was the female trainer's response when Gold tried to get past, causing Leaf to snicker.

"Ugh," She muttered, pulling out Tyson's Pokeball. "Fine, if it'll make ya sleep at night." The trainer's Geodude went down to only two Low Kicks, but she wasn't upset at all. She still believed that Brock was the hottest person on Earth… Gold disagreed and claimed that Lance of the Elite Four was, and the two got into a very heated argument. Thankfully Leaf and Brock managed to pull them away from each other and were able to challenge Gold to a battle.

"Fufufufu. So you really think a rookie like you could beat me? Let's see how you get past my rock hard defense Pokémon!" He boasted.

"I'll show ya!"

Brock Fan-girl lifted up her arm, "Gold Diamond of Sinnoh challenged by Gym Leader Brock! This'll be a two-on-two battle, challenger gets the first move! Let the battle begin!"

"Go Geodude!"The rock type specialist cried, sending out his starter Pokémon.

"_Let's shine today_! Come on out Joey!" She exclaimed, much to the shock of the Gym Leader. Leaf smacked her head.

"What an idiot…" She mumbled, slouching in her chair. "I offered Erik." The Bulbasuar in her arms blinked.

Brock frowned, "Really? You're sending out a fire-type, Charmander, against my rock-type? How long have you been training for?"

Gold snapped her fingers, "I don't believe in type advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on the personality and strength of a Pokémon, because no matter what all of them have potential. Every time I think of those stupid IV numbers and levels, my brain gets fogged up. I only started my journey this morning but my father is the Champion of my Sinnoh region! Next time think twice before judging a book by its cover, you jerk!"

He gulped. A twenty year old man was actually scared at the fierceness of a twelve year old girl. There was silence in the Gym until he finally wiped sweat from his brow and Gold announced her order. Leaf leaned forward in her seat, eyes wide.

"Alright Joey. Let's start this off with a Leer!"

"Geodude, Tackle!"

The rock type stopped dead in his tracks as the move missed and he cringed under the shiny Charmander's glare.

"_**Erk…" **_The Geodude mumbled, though he followed his master's orders.

"_**Hmhmhm,"**_ Came Joey's reply; she was so revved up for battle right now!

"Okay. Joey, use Tackle then follow it up with your new move!"

"Char!" She grinned, slashing two metal claws at her opponent. Her sister grinned and glanced over towards the holographic screen which showed massive damage taken by the Geodude. Brock's fangirl folded her arms and huffed.

"What a show-off," She grumbled.

Brock pressed his teeth together and closed his eyes. He had to think fast. For a Charmander so young, it was being raised by a wonderful and fearless trainer. If he kept holding back, she would be able to pound through his entire team. He glanced over at his challenger. She was smirking at him. _Alright. It's time to show her why I'm the Pewter City Gym Leader! _

"Geodude, quick, hang in there and use Rock Throw!"

A cold sweat formed on Gold's face. "R-rock throw?! Oh no! Joey retu—"

It was too late. The shiny Charmander became pelted with the attack and was sent flying into her master. She let out an 'oof' and fell to the floor with her. It all happened to quickly for the girl, as she sadly glanced at the black swirls on her partner's eyes.

"Joey! A-Are you okay?" _Guess there's still more I need to know about battling… guh. _Her Pokémon blinked a few times before smiling weakly.

"Char… Charmander…" _**"I'll be okay. No need to worry!"**_

Gold sniffed, "You take a good rest, then," She recovered quickly much to the surprise of everyone. "Fumiko your opponent is weak; go get 'em!" Leaf tilted her head to one side. Her sister's next choice was a majestic Butterfree, strong and confident. She blinked, wondering when in the name of Arceus did her stupid Metapod evolve. She blamed the plot bunnies.

Brock folded his arms, "If you want, you still have the chance to forfeit."

"Not in this lifetime," Gold sneered, clenching her fists. "Fumiko; let's start this next round off with a Confusion!"

The Gym leader ordered his next attack, and the two clashed. Geodude _finally_ went down.

She snapped her fingers, "Yeah! I knew you could do it!"

Brock smiled. He glanced over to the referee who was seething with anger. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"G-geodude is unable to battle. Final round, begin!"

"Alright. I've been easy on ya, now it's time to bring out my best! Come on Onix!" A terrifying roar erupted throughout the whole gym, causing Leaf to yelp in alarm. Even Erik became scared as he moved his tiny body onto her shoulder. He whimpered.

Fumiko glared at her opponent, "Butter, Butter, Butterfreeeeee!" "_**Just because you're big and scary don't mean a thing ta me!" **_

The giant snake laughed, "On, on, Onix." "_**Mmm. You'll make a tasty snack!" **_

"Onix, use Tackle!"

"Fumiko, String Shot!"

Her opponent was slowed, but only for a little bit.

Gold's hands became sweaty. She gulped and rubbed them against her ripped jeans. "Fumiko, try a Poison Powder!"

"Rock Throw, Onix!"

She closed her eyes tight as she couldn't bare to see her Pokémon injured. _This is it. I can't use Shrek, and Sora is too weak. She would only last two seconds. So that means my only option is… _"Tyson! Show them what you're made of!"

Out jumped a very energetic Mankey, who bared its fangs at his opponent. "Man, Man-KEY!" "_**Alright, I've had enough of you!" **_

"Tyson, use Focus Energy!"

Brock grinned, "Onix, Tackle!"

"Right where we want him! Tyson, Low Kick!"

The little tyrant glared as he rammed his foot into an opponent three times his size, sending the beast into the wall. The impact was so great it left a dent.

Brock's fangirl's mouth dropped open.

Leaf smirked.

Gold let out a sigh of relief.

The Boulder Badge was officially hers.

* * *

**An: Sorry this took a while. I've been uber busy with SATs and life. It was awesome finally getting around to finishing this chapter though; it's one of my favorites. Oh, and Gold was actually featured in Maverick Kay Prime's _Constant Box_, where she plays as the main character's rival. It's a really awesome story in itself, go check it out! Anywhodles, see ya later. **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: As a kid, I remember throwing a rage fit when I couldn't get through this place no matter how many times I tried. So... many... Zubats... *shudder* Welp, other than that, I bring good news! I have a two-week vacation coming on for Xmas break so expect more chapters later. I know this is short, but I hope it makes up for the month-long hiatus I took. :/**

_Chapter five: Mt. Moon- Every trainer's worst nightmare. _

**Mt. Moon Pokémon Center **

Gold was grumbling to herself as her Pokemon were getting healed for a _third _time, her arms folded against her chest. "Stupid Zubat… stupid Geodude… stupid Pokémon Maniacs who freak me out. Gosh darnit, I wish I had some Repels!"

Leaf slapped her head as she watched her sister, refusing to help her out. She tried to warn her about going into her first cave, but as expected, the head-strong blonde couldn't wait. After the second time she just decided to chill at the Center with an old veteran, who had an obvious hatred for some crazy organization called Team Rocket.

"How long have they been hiding out in the mountain for?" She asked, petting Erik's head. She kept her eye trained on her sister.

"Arceus knows. One moment I was looking for some rare Fossils, and the next my team was swamped by those blasted idiots!" He huffed, shaking his head. "The officers don't do much these days. Back in my time, all ye had to do was ring the bell and they'll come runnin'!"

The novice trainer was about to comment when she saw her sister talking with this other shady-looking man, sporting a big grin on her face. "Wow, so you claim this Pokémon is truly rare?" She had a normal looking Pokéball in her hands, but something was suspicious about it.

The man grinned wildly. "Uh-huh! The ultra special Magikarp could very well be yours for a cheap price of 500 Pokédollars! Mwahahahahahahaha!"

Leaf threw her head back and groaned. "No, Gold, wait—!"

Never mind. Gold had already screamed happily and thanked the man, stuffing her new partner in her bag. Gold skipped—yes, literally skipped—back over to where her sister was and clasped her hands together. "I just made a sweet deal on a Magikarp, sis! Guess what I decided to nickname it?!"

She closed her eyes. Then: "What?"

"Moses! Or Mo, for short! Aren't I clever?" Leaf wondered how long she can keep up with Gold's enthusiasm before she finally tells her how useless her new friend is. On the upside, at least he evolves into one of the most powerful water types out there if trained well and with patience. Dad would be proud.

She forced a smile, "The cleverest. Now, come on. Let's get out of here."

"Right behind ya!"

**A few wasted Repels and Pokéballs later, **

"Just who was that guy?" Gold questioned, scrunching up her nose. She glanced back at the Rocket in black uniform. "Who in their right mind would be hanging around in some dark cave like this?"

Leaf paused in her step, "Remember when Mom used to tell us stories about Team Galactic?"

The bombshell blonde grinned, "Yeah. She was so awesome! Aura and Percy always teamed up to stop them!"

She smiled at the memory and nodded. "The thing is though… I have a feeling that these guys aren't like those guys, sister."

Gold frowned. "Huh? What do you mean? He said he's just a lowly gangster." Leaf didn't say anything and trekked on. Somewhere between finding lost items dropped by trainers, and defeating most of the hikers who were lost as well, the twins ran into another Rocket.

"We Team Rocket shall find those fossils! Reviving Pokémon from them will earn us riches!"

"I got this," Gold boasted, and released Joey.

"What an idiot!" Leaf grumbled, referring to the man in black. The Team Rocket member sent out both of his Pokémon: a Rattata and a Zubat.

"Zubat use Leech Life, Rattata use Tackle!"

"Joey! Let's try out our new move! _Use_ _Flame Wheel_ _on both of them!" _

The Rocket member's eyes widened in fear, as did Leaf. "Gold! Joey isn't strong enough! Send out Shrek to help her!" This particular battle ended to quickly for both girls, as right in the middle of it all, a white light engulfed the baby Charmander. She grinned and folded her arms in arrogance as her starter evolved for the first time, growing a more lengthy reptilian body structure. Most Charmealeons would have a darker orange coat, but since Joey was blessed with the shiny gene, she still stayed a golden yellow.

"Charmealeon!" Joey now announced, pumping her long fists in the air. _**"Awww yeah! That felt great!" **_The poor Team Rocket grunt nearly peed his pants, and moved aside so the girls could pass through.

Gold stuck her tongue out at her sister, "C'mon. Say it."

Leaf rolled her eyes, "Okay. Okay. You knew what you were doing."

"Hihihihihihi!" She giggled, only to get whacked in the head.

After a few lost turns and more than enough random encounters the dynamic duo ran into a crazed fossil maniac. "My precious! I found these fossils first! They're both mine!" He hissed, guarding the Helix and Dome Fossils with his life. Gold, always revved up for battle, took out Joey's Pokéball. Leaf narrowed her eyes and to the astonishment of her sister, put on her glasses.

"That Helix fossil is mine," She announced.

"I'm getting a Kabuto!" Gold cheered, and the battle began. The poor super nerd didn't know what was coming to him. His two Pokémon was easily taken down by Joey and Erik, who were proving to be excellent companions so far. It didn't take long before the girls saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and Cerulean City's gym badge was shining in Gold's eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter six: In which Gold discovers fame sure ain't beauty. _

**Cerulean City Pokémon Center, 8:25am **

"59 bottles of Moomoo milk on the wall, 58 bottles of moomoo milk, so pass it around, why don't ya turn it around, 57 bottles of-!"

"_Gold!" _Leaf hissed, rubbing her forehead. Newly caught Kite, a baby Spearow, blinked up at his owner. She decided to capture him purely on Gold's wishes, because she was sick of her sister nagging over the fact of how tiny her current team is. In all honesty, Leaf didn't really care much for the Pokémon she's seen so far. She was fine with how her team currently was, with just Erik and Tails, but at least it made Gold be quiet for the rest of the night. He tilted his head in curiosity.

She grinned down at him. And, hey, now that she's looking at her new friend at a different light, the little bird _is_ actually kinda cute. He had even taken a liking towards Gold's Pidgey Sora, which was super adorable. "It's not even 9am yet. Please shut up." She muttered, fluffing the feathers on his head.

The ditzy blonde huffed and folded her arms. "But I'm bored and Misty isn't taking gym battles at this hour."

"Go battle some poor defenseless youngster who likes shorts," She suggested, sniffing as she fixed her glasses.

"Meh…no. I guess I'll deposit Fumiko and Moses into the PC and take a look at my other Pokémon's stats for the time being. Say, afterwards, wanna get some breakfast?" Gold suggested, now having a sudden burst of energy.

Leaf snorted, "It's 'want to' and sure. I'll call mom while you're at it."

"Okay!" She rolled her eyes at her sister and smiled. It's hard to believe that it only took them a week to come so far away from home, and yet she Leaf felt like they left just yesterday. Shaking her head, she dialed the number, fluffing Kite's head as she waited for the screen to load up.

"Hey! Look who it is!" Her mother's smiling face shone brightly, excitement glistening in her eyes. "I was getting a little worried about the two of you! How is your adventure going, dearest?"

The brown haired girl rubbed the back of her head, giggling. "Well, Gold and I ventured through a few rough patches, but we're trudging along. She's better at catching and raising Pokémon more than me, let me tell ya."

Platinum sighed, "That girl—she's just like her father, always rushing things. But, enough about that; what's your team like so far? Are you thinking about taking on the gyms too? How's that idiot friend of yours doing? You wash your clothes every night and put on fresh deodorant, don't you?" She laughed, loving the sight of her daughter becoming embarrassed.

"M-moooom!" She grumbled, taking the phone away from her ear for a moment. She fixed her hair with a huff. "Okay. First, my team consists of my starter, Bulbasaur, a Pikachu, and this little guy right here—I caught him so Gold would stop bragging about how awesome her team is." She stuck her tongue out at her sister by the PC, who grinned in reply, "Second, no, that's Gold's thing, I'm just tagging along for the adventure. Maybe I'll take on the contests when we get back home," at this, Platinum's eyes sparkled with delight and she nearly screamed her head off, but Leaf shushed her. "Jeez, mom, you've always known I wanted to become a Top Coordinator. I just needed a little boost of encouragement."

"I know, but I love imagining you in a cute lil' pink dress! Ooh, you might even fit into my old one I used to wear! I can't wait until you come back home!"

Leaf banged her head on the desk. She couldn't bear to look at her mother. "Third, I don't know—the last time we've seen Blue was in Viridian City, when Gold kicked his butt. And finally, ugh, yes mom we have been taking care of ourselves. Same goes for our Pokémon—we stock up on potions and other useful items at the mart daily with the money we earn."

Platinum had calmed herself down then, and gave her daughter a nod. "Good job. The next town you'll be heading to is Vermillion, am I right?"

She slouched her shoulders, "Yeah, but the route is blocked by tiny trees. So we have to go out the long way."

The veteran trainer chuckled quietly, "Ah, yes. Those infamous saplings—you remember learning about HMs in trainer school, don't you?"

Leaf, recalling a page in her textbook, nodded. "I do. Gold might not. Where can I find Cut in this region?"

Platinum gave her an odd look, "Hey, I know a lot about Pokémon, but I'm not the Internet. Figure it out yourself! Always make sure you talk to everybody you meet, they may have something interesting to say."

She snickered, "Fine, mom. Be ominous all you want. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me."

"Of course, sweetheart! Call me anytime! Good luck on the rest of your journey! I'll be rooting for the two of you!"

_Click. _

Leaf stared at the blank screen, a smile plastered on her face. Taking a deep, calming breath, she stood up and Kite hopped off her lap. "C'mon boy, time to go." She took out his Pokéball, glancing around for her sister.

She couldn't find her right away, but she did catch eyes with Blue. He was just finished with healing his own Pokémon.

He gave her a charming smile and blew hair out of his face. "Hey! Funny meeting you here."

Leaf rolled her eyes, "Hi, idiot. Did you challenge Misty yet?"

He puffed out his chest, "Just did. I gotta say if she claims she has the most perfect strategy ever, she really doesn't. She's such a noob, a hot noob, but a noob nonetheless."

"Ew, keep your fetishes to yourself," She frowned, "Wait, I thought now was around the time when Misty and her sisters put on their circus act. How did you…?"

Blue folded his arms defensively, "What makes you think I snuck in, nerd? I used my handsome good looks and asked for a battle, that I won in." Leaf was about to retort when she heard an inhuman growl, and her eyes went wide.

"Oh, no," She gasped, looking at her sister, who was steaming red. Standing right across from her was Misty herself, arms folded.

"What? What's the matter?" Blue started to ask, but the girl had already left, running frantically across the center.

She sighed. Every new gym leader they meet in this region, Gold just has to make a bad first impression. Well, eh, Brock was a weirdo and he underestimated her. Leaf hoped this wouldn't be a recurring them, especially since the press would soon be hot on their tail once they catch on to the new challengers.

"_Gold!_ I leave you alone for five minutes—!"

"Stop acting like you're so perfect and snobby all the time. You may not know it, but it really pisses people off. And right now, you got the wrong person to deal with. I don't care how friggen' tough you claim your Staryu is, I demand a battle and I want it now!"

Misty threw her head back and laughed, "You've only been a trainer for a week and you believe you can beat me?! Hah! That's a joke! Some trainers take years to get to me—and when they do, they lose! Good luck trying to get up to my caliber, Miss Coal Mine."

"Ugh! It's Gold Diamond. Get it _right!_"

She pretended to yawn, "Like I have the time to learn the names of every challenger I defeat."

"Grrrr…" Leaf and Blue held both of her arms and pulled her back, watching as Misty sauntered off to retrieve her Pokémon.

"Holy Mew, take it easy Gold." Blue laughed, patting her on the head. "I get it that Misty can be a bit… uh, bitchy, but was that necessary?"

"_She insulted my team_," Gold seethed, "No one insults my partners and gets away with it. You can make fun of my name all ya want, but making fun of my partners is a no-no."

Leaf sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder, in an effort to calm her sister down. "Start from the beginning."

The blonde-haired girl grumbled but plopped herself on a bench, "I was minding my own business and checking out the PC, making sure my Pokémon were okay in there. I'm sure gonna miss Fumiko and Moses, but they're not what I have in mind for my team. Anyways, from the corner of my eye I caught Misty walking in here, and all of a sudden a swarm of boys went over to her and started asking for autographs, dates, pieces of hair, you name it." She frowned and paused a moment, "I don't know what came over me, but I got so jealous. I had read in a magazine once about how powerful the water type gym leader was, though I had my doubts since the only two Pokémon she preferred using were Starmie and Staryu. I tried to control myself from getting any angrier, but then she decided to notice me. She recalled that she heard rumors about a trainer who was taking on the gyms again and asked if I was that girl. Well, I nodded proudly and announced my name. All she did was… laugh. She just mocked me, making fun of how I only had four weak Pokémon and only one gym badge. She said with the skills I have now I'll never make it to the Elite Four."

Her sister gave her an understanding smile, while Blue clenched his fists.

"Gold, listen, I know you can't really control yourself when you get into heated situations like that, but you really need to learn to calm down. When you get into fights with me, or mom, or… dad for that matter, you just tend to drag it on for days. It's not healthy, and it surely isn't fair to the other person. You need to practice putting yourself in their shoes."

When Gold looked back up at her sister, she had tears in her eyes. "So you're saying I should just _ignore_ what she said?! Sister, that really hurt my feelings! I know we only just started a few days ago, but—"

Leaf sighed, glancing at Blue for help. He smiled and placed a comforting hand on her knee. "Your sister is saying that from this point forward don't take things to such extremes. Learn from the mistakes you made today and put it behind you. Give Misty a second chance when you battle her later today."

She grinned at her friend, amazed by his words. Who knew that such a tough guy would still be a sweetheart?

"O-okay. Thanks, Blue."

With that, he reached over to hug Gold, which caused Butterfree's to have a dance off in Leaf's stomach. _Sweet Arceus._ She had hoped he didn't catch her blushing and punched his shoulder. "Aw, you're awesome, bro!"

He grinned, stepping up, "Ah. It was nothing. After all, can't have my rival falling behind. Gotta keep up the pace, Gold! I was just about to head en route to Vermillion City and get my badge from Surge, but I think I'll stick around to see Gold whoop Misty's butt."

"Count on it!" Gold giggled, and Leaf chuckled along to, happy that her sister was no longer upset.

* * *

**Nugget Bridge, Cerulean City, 9:40am **

After a quick breakfast, there was no stopping Gold when she decided to train her team. She, Leaf, and Blue hung out together underneath the Nugget Bridge, which was the perfect spot for training.

Joey, Sora, Shrek, and Tyson stood in a single file line, facing their determined trainer. Gold smiled and put her hair up in a ponytail so the wind wouldn't blow in her face.

"Alright team. Here's the story: we're dealing with a snobbish, air headed Gym Leader who is determined to kick our butts. We gotta break down her defensive walls. Misty has two main Pokémon that she likes to destroy dreams with—Staryu and Starmie. Now, they're pretty offensive water types, so we have to hit their weak spots if we really wanna win this badge." She turned to her Charmeleon, "You have a serious type disadvantage, but I want equal contributions in this fight. So that means you four are really going to have to work together."

Blue smiled to himself and nudged Leaf, who was currently reading a book on old Sinnoh myths. "She's pretty serious about this, huh?"

Leaf blinked up at her sister's rival. "You haven't seen anything yet."

The three friends hung around the Cerulean Cape for the rest of the afternoon, helping Gold for the battle of the century. Well, the novice trainer believed it to be so. She had a score to settle with the attention whore, and she wanted everyone to see it. She thought back to her first battle with Brock and a feeling of pride came through her. Ever since then it had been straight KO-wins for her team, and she couldn't wipe the grin off her face at how much she's improved. Kanto is a great place to start her journey, and she made a mental note to thank her mother for vacationing here. Her experience so far, while it has been brief, opened her eyes to so much culture and new people. Every single day was a new, exciting adventure.

* * *

Gold, Leaf, and Blue took a break at the Pokémon Center for lunch until an announcement was made that Misty was accepting challenges again. The blonde haired girl was so excited she nearly tripped over herself as she ran towards the Cerulean Gym.

Much to her surprise, however, the lights were dimmed when she finally made it. Leaf and Blue came huffing in shortly after.

The silence of it all didn't intimidate the rookie. Cupping her hands on her mouth, she yelled, "HEY MISTY! GET OUT HERE SO I CAN SCORCH YOUR SORRY BUTT!"

Leaf slapped her head, slowly bringing her hand down her face. Blue laughed.

Nothing. Nobody answered at first. Then, slowly, one light shone from the ceiling, focusing on one shadow-y figure.

Gold tilted her head in confusion. "Huh…?"

"Ladies and gentlemen; boys and girls, you have definitely come at an excellent time today!" Annoying blaring music played as the lights turned back on, illuminating the stadium. Thousands upon thousands of people filled the bleachers cheering like mad, and Gold gulped when she saw just exactly what was in front of her.

She had just gotten herself in the middle of a circus act. In place of a traditional arena, was an Olympic sized pool, something that she had never truly seen up close before; she's seen pictures of them sure, but that was only advertised on television. She peeped down to see how deep it went, and instantly regretted it. That thing was like a bottomless pit.

Leaf noticed her sister's discomfort and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, glaring up at Misty, who shone brightly with the spotlight on her.

"Why is it, you may ask? I'll be happy to tell you! Today, I have a challenger from the Sinnoh region! I've never been challenged by a rookie outside of my home country before, so I thought why not invite everyone to see how things will unfold!" She took a terrifying leap from her podium and landed perfectly on a supporting mat in the center of the pool. The crowd went wild at her display. Blue shook his head disapprovingly. Gold wasn't sure how his battle went with the water master, but she knew it went nothing like this, and he didn't appreciate how things were going now.

She gave a false smile towards Gold, who was about to faint with all the eyes peering down at her. "So here's how this battle is going to go, rookie. You're going to send out two of your Pokémon onto the stage here, and defeat at least two of my trainers. They're going to balance themselves on the beams here because here's the kicker—they can't fall off! If they do, they can't battle me!" She said the last bit loud and clear as the camera focused in on her, briefly getting a glimpse of her challenger. "You should be honored, Sinnohian, I've never ever done this before with my challengers! So this is going to be fun!"

_I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you—_"Sounds great. I'm ready when you are." It took a lot of nerve for Gold not to send Joey out and burn her. But since she's supposed to be the good guy and keep her morals in check, she decided against it.

Misty grinned like a Persian and snapped her fingers, "Trainers! Front and center!"

Gold knew facing off against Misty was going to be tough—she was in her top game, surrounded by all these people. She decided against using her Charmeleon at all for the first two battles to save the surprise, and not using her Pokémon to their full potential. There is a time and a place.

The first two opponents were easy wins, for she focused on using Tyson and Sora to level them up. Her beloved Pidgey was actually extremely close to evolving, and she knew that the battle will go in her favor when she did if things looked bleak. Shrek too, was super close to reaching his second form, but she had trained him hard enough and he lost within the first two battles. He deserved a rest.

Gold glanced over to her pals who were sitting front row, giving them a thumb up. The two waved and shouted encouraging words over the roaring crowd. She smiled back at them and turned to her opponent, who was now off her post and was now sitting by the edge of the pool.

Misty winked at her. "That was a good show so far, Sinnohian! What do you guys think?" She questioned her crowd, who cheered at her claim. "Okay. I've seen enough. I'm ready to give you a true battle now!" She stood up confidently, "Let's give her an awesome Kanto welcome, guys! Starmie, Staryu, come on out!"

The announcer who commented vigorously on all of Gold's moves so far shouted from his podium, "And it looks like the moment we've been waiting for is finally going to happen! Here they are, Gym Leader Misty of Cerulean City versus the challenger, Gold Diamond from Twinleaf Town! _Round one, begin_!"

Gold grinned happily at this and turned to Sora, "Are you ready for this, girl?" The bird Pokémon chirped in determination and flew next to her shoulder. "Right," She put a hand to her belt, reaching for her partner, "_Let's shine today!_ Come on out, Tyson!"

The ill-mannered fighting type belted out a warrior cry as he arrived onto the stage, flipping off his two opponents. "Man-man, MANKEY!" "**_Time for a taste of the T-man! BRING IT!" _**

They both made sounds of disgust in return, turning away.

Misty spread out her hands, "The challenger gets the first move! I've heard that you're the daughter of Sinnoh's champ, and I'm curious to see what you can do."

_You just want to see me flop, _Gold thought to herself, shaking her head. She bit her lip to avoid making that comment. "Sora, quick attack on that Starmie. Tyson, go for a fury swipe on that Staryu. Don't hold anything back!"

"Hmm. Alright: Staryu, harden! Starmie, rapid spin now!" She folded her arms together, as if she were in deep thought.

Gold nodded to her Pokémon, "Guys, work as a team! Don't feel intimidated! Sora, go for a wing attack to that Staryu again! Tyson, double kick on Starmie! Try to block the oncoming attack!"

Sora pulled a miraculous feat and managed to weaken Staryu by a lot. Tyson, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky, and he got the hit. Starmie's scaly tentacles rammed into the Mankey's stomach, causing the Pokémon to almost fall into the water!

"Oh no! Tyson, are you okay?" Gold cried out, hiding her face with her hand. Her partner was such a weaker level than his opponent, he was such a trooper for pulling through that hit.

He gave her a triumphant grin and a thumb up, "Mankey." "_**I's only gotta scratch. That don' hurt me!" **_He faced the Starmie. "Mankey, Mankey, ManKEY!" _**"You're going to have to do a lot of damage to take me down, ya wuss!"**_

The Starmie chuckled, "Star, star," "_**What an absolute nerve." **_

Sora giggled at her partner, puffing out her tiny chest, "Pidge, Pidge, Pidge," _**"Let's take out these bozos together, Ty!" **_

Gold smiled at them, feeling confident again. Her Pokémon were amazing. "Okay. We haven't even broken a sweat! Sora, go for a quick attack and follow up with peck, while Tyson, try if you can double kick Starmie again!" The two rushed forward with their attacks ready.

Misty spread out her arms, hiding her smile, "Staryu, take this time to recover! Starmie, wait for the signal!"

Tyson reached out with his foot to smash the Starmie's glass eye—mouth? the world may never know—with his foot, but he was instead hit with a gush of water. The force was so great it sent him flying to the other end of the stadium, his eyes in the swirls of defeat, and collapsed in the water.

Gold ran over to pick up her wounded Pokémon, a sad smile on her face. "You put up a good fight, buddy. Take a rest now." She returned him back to his safe haven, and walked back to the arena. The crowd was an absolute wreck, cheering on Misty like their lives depended on it. "That was cruel." She frowned, "I get it that you have a reputation to uphold, but was beating my Pokémon senseless really necessary?"

Misty waved her off, "Hey that was me going easy. Don't speak loser because I won't listen to you. C'mon, I know you can to better than that, Sinnohian! Bring out your worst!"

Gold let out a defeated sigh. _I only have one choice left…_ "Let's settle this now! I believe in you, Joey!"

Leaf's eyes went wide with disbelief as her twin sister sent out her most prized Pokémon, the infamous shiny Charmeleon. Blue sat back in his chair to keep himself from falling over, though he eventually sweat-dropped.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter seven: Bill, the official Pokémon Maniac!_

**Cerulean City, Cerulean Cape, 2:17pm **

"That. Was. Awesome!" Blue cheered, hitting Gold's fist with his own. "You completely destroyed her after you lost Tyson!"

Gold blushed at the praise, trying to focus her attention on the sea. Truth to be told, she was still excited from her previous battle with the water type master as well.

It was a fight against wills, and neither opponent was backing down. Gold had made the decision to send out her most beloved Pokémon and turn the tables. Even though the crowd decided to laugh at her she stuck to her gut, focusing on using Joey's powerful jaws to break through Starmie's wall. If it weren't for Sora evolving into her second form, she would've had to forfeit. The large bird took down Staryu first claiming the second round. While Starmie was distracted by its partner, she demanded Joey to use metal claw right in the center of Starmie's eye.

It wasn't a very defensive water type, that was for sure, and while Misty was freaking out over her fainted Staryu, Joey and Sora teamed up to take down Starmie once and for all.

Gold was generous about her win, though. Her sister's words rang loud and clear when she saw Misty in a state of distress, and she sucked up whatever pride she had to comfort her.

She gingerly hopped from beam to beam to reach her, with Joey and Sora following soon after. She tapped the Gym Leaders shoulder.

"_What do you want?" Misty sniffed, hiding her face. _

"_Hey. I just wanted to tell you I had an awesome battle. I can see now why everyone respects you!" She grinned, holding out her hand so she could help her up. "You're smart, funny, beautiful, and you treat your partners with so much love! You're a true model Misty, and a great representation for Cerulean City! You just let the fame get to your head sometimes, though," She giggled, giving the shocked girl a wink. She let out a sigh, her shoulders drooping. "And I'm… sorry for being a prick and underestimating you earlier. I hope it doesn't give you a bad impression on us Sinnohians." _

_Leaf gave her sister a proud smile, while Blue nodded his head in agreement. Surely, this was a new side of Gold they've never seen before, and they were glad to welcome the change. _

_Tears glistened in Misty's eyes as she wiped them away, and pulled out a badge from her back pocket. "No one has ever said that to me before, Gold Diamond. You're more of a Pokémon trainer than I am, let's be honest here. Thank you. I take back everything I said about you, and I'll make sure there will be a day where I make up for it." She addressed the crowd which was in a hushed state of shock. "I humbly present the Cascade Badge to Gold Diamond of Twinleaf Town, our future Pokémon Master!" A wide grin spread across her face as she took Gold's hands into hers, pacing a technical machine in her hands. "Here, take this too. It's the TM Water Pulse, a super offensive move! When you get a Pokémon that can learn it, teach them and remember the great battle we had!"_

After that, the crowd cheered even more at the result, and reporters from all over Kanto tried to get an interview with Gold. Of course, being the hasty girl she is, she wanted to answer every single question. Thankfully Leaf and Blue managed to pull her away so they could have a victory dinner together.

Gold laughed to herself and pat her beloved Charmeleon's head, to which she cooed in response. Sora flew above them, swooping up and down through the air currents, visibly enjoying herself. Blue had decided to leave the girls and beef up his team, planning to destroy Surge for his third badge. They didn't stop him—he was on his own journey of self-discovery after all, even if he is a jerk.

Leaf smiled at her sister, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm really proud of you, Gold. I have to admit I was worried about you when we first started, but you truly know what it means to be a Pokémon trainer now, and I know that you'll just continue to get stronger. After that speech you gave Misty, I won't be surprised if the entire region of Kanto loves you now!"

The Sinnoh native detected no amount of jealousy in her voice; it just oozed with pride. Leaf always put her older twin before herself; sometimes, that made Gold feel a bit guilty. It should be the complete opposite, actually. She had to ask herself, what did Leaf want to earn from this journey?

"Leaf," She began, turning to face her. "Why… why are you still following me? Why don't you go on your own journey into the great unknown like Blue? You know I won't stop you from doing so."

Leaf, to Gold's surprise, laughed. "Because, Gold, you're my sister—we're joined at the hip, remember? Whenever you go, I follow, even if it's dangerous. I'm here to back you up whenever you're in trouble, or scared, or just need someone to talk to. Don't worry about me or where my own path will lead. I'm taking my time to decide what I eventually want to do; it's why I'm not obsessed in evolving my Pokémon right away. I'm happy with the way my team is now, even though competitively they won't stand a chance. My main focus right now is exploring this region together with you that mom offered us. I won't rest until every nook and cranny of Kanto is discovered." She announced proudly, making Gold smile. That's the twin sister she knows and loves.

She smiled, "Okay. You got me there I guess," She turned to her Pokémon, "It's getting late, girls, we should head to bed."

Sora flew in and perched herself on Gold's arm. The Pidgeotto smiled affectionately at her master. "Pidge, Pidgeotto." She agreed with a yawn, "_**I am getting sleepy. What do you think, Joey?**_"

"Char, Charmeleon." She replied, giving a shrug, "_**I'm ready to scorch some more youngster butt, but sleeps good too.**_"

Gold wished she knew what her Pokémon were saying, but she could understand that they were both in agreement with her. "Alright then; back to the center we go! Sora, Joey, return! Excellent work today. I'm so proud of the both of you." Her partners smiled back at her as they returned to their respective homes.

Leaf let out a yawn and stretched her arms, glancing at the setting sun. "It's almost night time, let's call it a day."

Well, the two girls thought so at least. They suddenly heard a sharp cry of pain, causing their eyes to turn to a tiny shack on the far side of Cerulean Cape. Weird, bright flashing lights shot out from the windows, with a strange piercing noise coming with it.

Then as quickly as it came, it stopped. And there was silence.

Leaf blinked her eyes to get rid of the tiny dots she was seeing. "What in the name of Mew—"

"Last one there is a rotten Magikarp!" She exclaimed, already bolting through the grass. She bumped into many of the trainers who were hoping for a rematch, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"_Gold!_ We don't know if that was an evil experiment or not!" She wailed, but then let her shoulders droop in a defeated sigh. This was Gold in her prime. There was no stopping it. "Fine, fine, I'm coming." She said to nobody in particular, and broke out into a slow jog.

The blonde haired girl tried to pick the lock, but she was unsuccessful the first time. "Ugh. No dice." She then got an idea, and took out her Pokéball. "Joey, help me out," She grinned when her partner was released, tilting her head in confusion. "Think you can burn that lock off?"

"Char!" She cried, and let out a powerful ember.

Within seconds, her plan worked, and there was a huge hole in the center of the door. Leaf gave her sister an annoyed look. "You couldn't have thought of any other way?"

Gold ignored her and slammed the door open, strutting into the room. "Halt! In the name of science, what you did was a felony! Show yourself madman!"

Leaf took this moment to examine their surroundings. It was a single story flat, like any other home they've been in Kanto. Though, this particular one was a mess. Cardboard boxes were thrown everywhere, some not even opened. Two large contraptions were placed dead in center, along with a very high tech computer device. It looked to belong to some sort of researcher, or perhaps a Pokémon enthusiast. She knew for a fact that they had just broken into an important man's home, which was something Leaf never thought she'd do in this lifetime.

Suddenly, odd smoke started coming out from the machine, and a tiny figure hobbled out. "Oh! Oh! Saviors! Thank Arceus you're here!" It squealed, causing Leaf to blink in surprise.

"Gah! Joey, use Flame Wheel on it!" Gold shrieked, frighten by its sudden appearance.

"NO!" Both Leaf and the strange thing said at the same time, but it was too late. Once the smoke cleared Leaf could see now that it was a Clefairy, a talking one at that. The poor thing was burnt to the crisp and was flung into one of the open cardboard boxes.

When the little Pokémon emerged, it fearfully glanced up at the twins, and completely ignored the shiny Charmeleon altogether. "Sheesh, I get myself into a sticky situation and get attack by strangers. Way to add insult to injury."

Leaf was about to apologize when Gold beat her to the punch, "You're a talking Clefairy."

A wide, victorious smile beamed on its tiny face. "Actually, no! I happen to be a human! I was just messing around with my machines here to see if it would work."

Gold threw her hands up in defeat, "Gosh darnit, where's a lie detector when I need one?"

Leaf shook her head at her sister, "That's not the strangest tale I've heard in my life. Would you like help in switching you back? Is there a button we need to press, or something?" She glanced over at Gold, who was noisily searching through the messy cardboard boxes. She rolled her eyes."I'm really sorry about my sister."

He waved her off and walked over to the first big machine, giving her a kind smile. "Hey, I would do the same if I ran into a talking Clefairy. I just need to fix the machine in here and when I give you the signal, press the ENTER key on my computer. If everything goes right, I'll teleport out of that left machine like a human again!" He did a little excited clap with his paws, "Prepare to see science in action!"

Leaf nodded eagerly and made her way towards the bulky computer, sitting on the office chair. She could hear him tinkering with his machine and glanced over to see what her twin was up to. The trainer had an excited look on her face as she flipped through pages of an old notebook she found on one of the shelves.

"Gold! Don't touch his things! The least you could do is sit be quiet!"

She ignored her, and started jumping up and down like a lunatic. "No freaking way! It's him! This is the guy! Sweet mother of Celebi _we're in his house_!"

"What are you on about?" Leaf questioned in a bored tone, tilting her head. Gold didn't have the time to answer for the little Clefairy called out an affirmation, and Leaf slammed her finger on the keypad. Gold and Joey covered their eyes because of the bright lights that came from the second machine. Suddenly, a tall figure tumbled out, coughing and waving the smoke away. When Gold could finally see what he looked like, she let out a shriek of amazement.

"I knew it was you! You're Bill, the man who invented the first retro PC systems in Kanto! Gosh, I can't believe I just gave you third degree burns. I'm really, really, _really,_ sorry Bill. Y'see, I'm a huge fan of your work, and—"

The scientist laughed and held his hand up. "Save your breath, Miss Diamond. I would do the same if I met a talking Clefairy. Say, thanks for helping me out of that bind. I was using a different coding for my experiments and kinda fumbled. I was debating on calling Professor Oak and asking him to help me, but to be honest I felt embarrassed. I feel like I should make it up to the two of you."

Leaf began to interject, "It's fine, we just came to see if you—" Gold thwacked the back of her head, nearly causing her hat to fall off. The brunette grumbled and bent over to pick it back up.

"Let me see," Bill hummed, looking through his desk drawers. "Ahah! Here we are: two tickets for the S.S. Anne. She's a real beauty, and trainers from all around come to battle in this luxurious, three day cruise. I was hoping to do some in the field research with a friend of mine, but I think you two will serve these tickets well."

Gold and Leaf bowed their heads in thanks, taking the gift. "Thank you Bill. This was so kind of you." Leaf said brightly, while Gold tilted her head in question.

"How did you know my last name?"

His eyes lit up, "Your battle with Misty was seen all over the region! It was the biggest thing to happen in all of the Gym Challenge's history. It was only until recently that Professor Oak started giving out his starter Pokémon again, but none of the novice trainers native to here had ever completed the challenge. What you're doing is a commendable feat." He paused for a moment, as if debating something. "I'm not sure if this is entirely true or not, but there are rumors of an obscure energy source flowing through certain Pokémon, eventually causing a strange powerful temporary evolution. There's a new region called Kalos on the map and it seems to have originated from there, but researchers aren't sure yet. It's fascinating at the same time, utterly terrifying. If you ever come across such a thing, I think it'll help you a great deal as well. Just be on the lookout for any strange stones, if you don't mind? I'd like to do some research back in my lab."

The twins listened carefully to his tall tale, not truly believing it at first. Though, they sensed the urgency in his voice, and Gold was quick to take action. "Of course! We'll video call you straight away, Bill! Count on it." Leaf nodded as an affirmation.

As the night sky began to get brighter, the two girls bid their new friend farewell, eager to meet for the interesting day they had ahead.

"All aboard! The trip for S.S. Anne leaves in two minutes!" The announcer claimed, blowing his whistle.

They had arrived in Vermillion City that morning, and met up with Blue as well. He had just defeated Surge with his team and got an extra ticket, though he never told the girls how he managed to get his. They decided not to question their friend.

"Woow, look Leaf! This thing is bigger than our home in Sinnoh _and_ Kanto!" Gold proclaimed, her eyes gleaming with delight.

Leaf chuckled at her, "That's the whole point of going on a cruise, sister. Okay. Now, you have three days to complete this K.O Challenge that's going on. I heard that it's going to be difficult, and top trainers even from Unova are going to be here. Are you sure you're up for this?"

Gold pumped her fist, "Absolutely! I have to beef up my team for Surge! We have to show these peeps how awesome us Sinnohians are!" She then turned to face her sister, grabbing her hands, "You can compete too, Leaf! I know you're not into this whole scene, but I promise to have your back throughout it all! I'm sure Erik and Tails and Kite would love to get out of their Pokeballs for a while too!"

She smiled and decided not to argue with her. Together, the girls made their way onto the ship.

"Tickets, please," The greeter spoke, holding out his hand. He didn't look up at them as he was busily typing on his computer. His buddy behind him slumped in the corner, clicking away at his phone, oblivious to the world around him.

Leaf scrunched up her nose, angered by their behavior, while Gold just grinned and plopped both of them onto his desk. "Here ya go!" She exclaimed, gaining his attention.

His mouth gaped open, "Oh my gosh. Dude, its Gold! She's the girl who defeated Misty!" He screamed like an obsessed fangirl to his co-worker behind him. "Your battling techniques are incredible. Are you signing up for the KO-Challenge or just for the cruise?"

She grinned, "I'm signing up for the challenge. My sis, here, is for the cruise. Are you a trainer… uh, Fred?" She asked, squinting at the nametag. She caught the nametag on his buddy, as he finally got up to look at what the commotion was, and read it as Mike.

Mike shook his head and laughed, slapping his friend on the back. "Pardon my friend here," He muttered in a thick accent, "He gets excited really easily. To answer your question, yeah we used to be, but never thought once about challenge the gyms. That was a dream we had together years ago. You'll see our Pokémon walking around and helping about the ship. Enjoy your stay here on the S.S Anne, your room is one the second floor, number 100."

Gold thanked the man and gave a wave to Fred who was still shaking from excitement, and Leaf could only look on amused.

She hummed thoughtfully, "I can't imagine for a second not thinking about battles or Pokémon. I wonder why they stopped and became shipworkers, Leaf."

"Well, that's life for you, Gold. Sometimes things don't work out and you'll have to find a different path."

Gold stayed silent as they walked across the main deck, staring at the diverse trainers and their Pokémon. Everyone was either talking, battling, or eating the delicious food that was served on the ship. The air was filled with excitement and everyone was revved up for the thrilling next few days to come.

The two sisters finally made their way to the door, and Gold turned to face Leaf. "Leaf—whatever happens on this journey, let's make a promise that we'll always keep Pokémon in our hearts."

Leaf scrunched her face up in confusion, wondering quietly where all this was coming from. She then relented and smiled, holding up her pinkie. "Promise, Gold."


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter eight: The K-O Challenge (Part One) _

**S.S Anne, Vermillion City, 9:00am **

"Wake wakey, Gold."

No reply.

"Rise and shinning."

Gold slowly opened her eyes.

"Wakey waking Gold."

She closed her eyes back again.

"GOLD MILLICENT DIAMOND WAKE UP OR SO HELP ME I'LL CALL MOM."

The blonde haired girl let out a terrified shriek and shot up in bed, staying in mid air only for a few seconds. She opened up one eye to see a fuming Leaf and a very amused Blue. She blinked twice and took a look at her surroundings, letting out a sigh of relief when she remembered that they were in their mini cabin room. She snapped herself out of her lazyness and flopped back onto the bed.

"Five more minutes," She mumbled to her friends, curling up with her beloved Charmeleon.

Blue let out a gasp, "And miss me beating your sorry butt at the tournament?"

Gold sucked in a breath and glared at him, deciding now was the perfect time to get out of bed. She was so stoked for this challenge, as it was her first time ever competing in one.

She quickly changed out of her pajamas and into her daily attire, jumping up and down excitedly. Joey grinned at her trainer's enthusiasm, hopping onto her back.

"I'm so ready! This'll be a great opportunity for me to train for Lt. Surge!"

Blue huffed and rolled his eyes as they walked out of the room. "Please, that guy is so overrated. He acts all tough because he survived the Pokémon War and thinks that electric type Pokémon are better than anything else. What a joke."

Leaf narrowed her eyes at him, slapping him across the head. "I'm assuming you didn't have a problem with him."

Blue fumbled for a bit, blushing once he regained his balance. "Not at all! He's all bark and no bite. I hate Gym Leaders like that."

Gold giggled at the two, "Still, that doesn't give me any reason to slack off. My team could always use some training. Right, Joey?"

The reptilian grinned, giving her owner a thumb up. "Char!"

Blue and Leaf glanced at each other for a few moments and giggled. They continued to idly chat as they waited around the main deck for the challenge to start.

Finally a man walked over to the stage behind the buffet display and tapped on the microphone. He wore a fancy captain's uniform and held a Pokéball in his hand. Hanging on top of the curtains was a huge projection screen, but it was currently blank.

He tapped on the microphone. "Welcome! Welcome everyone, my name is Captain, and I'm the man who built the lovely S.S Anne and hosts the annual KO Challenge. Every year we give out tickets to novice, talented trainers who are hoping a chance to prepare for the Big Leagues! I just want to say a huge thank you for all of you who decided to come out today!"

As the crowd cheered, Gold glanced over and caught eyes with another red haired teen that looked oddly out of place. She wore a dark t-shirt and tight jeans, boots, and folded her arms against her chest. Standing beside her was a Pikachu that looked just as intimidating. Gold shrugged off her worries and gave the girl a wave, to which in return, the red head glared.

She frowned and turned her attention back to the announcer. Just who was _that_?

"Here are the rules of the tournament: There are no rules! This will be a free for all tournament, and you get to choose your rivals to see who is crowned the Queen (or King) of the S.S Anne! Winner gets a date with the Captain and a free gift card to the nearest PokeCenter!"

Leaf frowned at the man's instructions as the crowd cheered. The girl would be sitting out for this one of course, but she'll be cheering on her friends Blue and Gold. She had to ask herself, was it necessary to add in that title, Queen of the S.S Anne? Really, what was the victor going to do with it? She never understood how people found joy in these things.

She looked over at her sister, who was too hyped up to even question anything. She smiled and laughed. As the stage before them quickly changed into a Pokémon arena, the announcer started calling up folks who were native to this region to battle in pairs first. There were many different types of trainers that she noticed, like Swimmers, Gentleman's, Sailors, and Youngsters to name a few.

All of them obtained Pokémon that fit the sea and beach.

Then, finally, it was Blue's time to shine.

Blue was an amazing trainer in his own league. He fought with passion and dignity. He knew when to give up if things got too heated, and he never ever exerted his Pokémon to the point of exhaustion. He quickly became the star of the show, as many of the women fangirled over him and many young children marveled at his techniques. He defeated every trainer that offered a battle.

It was him and that red haired girl that stood out to Gold. She was introduced by Captain as Ricka Constant, a rising Ace Trainer from Unova. All she needed on her side was her powerful Pikachu named Leda, and that's the only Pokemon the crowd got to see. That little ball of electricity was so powerful, it one-shoted even a Dugtrio! She was ruthless. A growing feeling of respect washed through Gold as she watched each battle that Miss Ricka Constant participated in, and she couldn't wait for the time where she would face off against her, and maybe even get to battle some of her other Pokémon. She wondered to herself why a talented trainer from Unova would be in Kanto, of all places. Maybe she was visiting family.

She snapped out of her daydream when the first preliminary round was finished, and all the trainers were even more revved up to keep going. The captain of the S.S Anne decided to call a lunch break, and a beautiful display of food was displayed for them.

Gold wasn't at all hungry however, as she was too caught up in that mysterious Unova girl. She glanced over her shoulder again and saw that she had slipped away, her incredible Pikachu in toe.

She quickly mumbled something to Leaf and left, making her way through the large crowd of enthusiastic Pokémon trainers.

"Hey! Hey you, Ricka!" She called out, waving the air. The red haired teen didn't answer (or maybe she couldn't hear) and turned a corner. She huffed in exertion and pushed onward, only to find herself in a dead end. She groaned loudly, slumping onto the floor in defeat. "Man, she's fast."

She glanced ahead of her, momentarily distracted by the sea. In front of her was a huge window that had a resting place beside it. She giggled to herself when a little Horsea got her attention, and it was doing a few tricks with its tail. She waved, and was about to send out her other Pokémon to play. She heard a frustrated scream coming from a few hallways down.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE MISSIONS OFF? I WORKED MY BUTT TO GET THOSE TICKETS, VOLTAIRE! YOU D*CK! C'MON, DO YOU WANT THE LEGENDARY POKEMON OR NOT?!"

Gold covered her ears as the teen yelled even louder, "NO, I WON'T STOP YELLING! I'M F*CKING PISSED, OKAY? FIRST YOU WON'T LET ME HAVE ACE ON MY TEAM AND NOW YOU TELL ME GIOVANNI GOT THE COORDANITES WRONG!"

Gold gulped as she feared for the receiving end of that conversation, and inched closer to the noise. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LAUGHING? YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE, DO YA? F*CK YOU!"

Ricka let out one final scream as she threw her phone against the wall, slumped in defeat. Gold risked a glance and peeked at the trainer. A feeling of dread came over her then. Her mother told her to be careful around Pokémon Hunters, or any kind of criminal of that nature. They're shady, heartless, and would do anything to get what they want. She may not know what particular status, but Ricka Constant sure fit the bill. Gold hated people who abused Pokémon.

She took a deep breath, debating on what she should do about her. She knew that revealing herself now would only cause complications, but she feared for what might happen if she didn't do anything. She denied her rebellious streak for now and decided to go back to Leaf. She can't take out a criminal on her own. No way.

She self proclaimed that Ricka is her new rival, on a whole different scale than Blue was. She would prove to Ricka the error of her ways, and defeat her.

"Where the heck were you?! The battles are about to start up again!" Blue exclaimed to her, and he frowned. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Sorry, I wanted to take a breather on the main deck." She explained, giving a look to Leaf that she'll explain later. Her twin nodded in response.

Captain smiled at the crowd and announced that the first half of the tournament is now over, and everyone could relax for the day. Gold, Leaf, and Blue all hung out with the different Pokemon trainers they battled, making new friends. Gold, however, could only focus on her growing distaste for this Ricka character. The more distant Ricka grew, the angrier Gold became.

**The next day **

Captain grinned at his growing crowd and tapped on the microphone. "It looks like we have three trainers who have defeated all of their opponents. Miss Ricka Constant of Unova, Miss Gold Diamond of Sinnoh, and Mr. Blue Oak of our lovely Kanto! So, here's how we're going to do this. Gold and her rival Blue will face off in a battle. The winner gets to face off against Ricka. Whoever wins that battle will be crowned the victor! Are there any questions? No? Good, let the battle begin!"

Gold let out an excited shriek and raced to one end of the stadium, while Blue went to the other.

Ricka frowned as she walked off the stage ignoring the people her cheered her. Leaf watched in curiosity at how nonchalant this trainer behaved, taking a seat in one of the plastic folding chairs.

"Alright! Time to really show off my skills! Let's go, Psy!" He exclaimed, displaying with pride his newly evolved Kadabra.

"Kadabra!" The psychic Pokemon exclaimed, flexing out its muscles.

"_Let's shine today_! Come on out, Shrek!" Gold cried; her evolved Nidorino jumped onto the scene.

Blue chuckled, "As you can see, I made a few changes to my team the last time you battled me at Cerulean! Let's make our third battle awesome!"

"I couldn't tell," She snickered in reply, "Shrek, Focus Energy!"

The Nidorino braced itself, glaring at its opponent.

"Psy, don't be intimidated! Use Confusion!"

A blaring light shot super effectively towards the Poison Pin Pokémon, causing it to reel back.

Ricka, watching onward, smirked. _Ace would destroy the both of these losers, _She thought to herself, hoping he was doing alright back at headquarters.

"Now, Shrek, hit 'em hard with a Fury attack!"

One, two, three, four times Shrek's horn rammed into The Kadabra's side, causing him to wobble on one foot. "Psy! C'mon, giving up is for the weak! Kinesis!"

A strange spoon appeared in front of Psy, momentarily blinding Shrek. Though, he was only fazed for a second. "Shrek! Let's go buddy, use Double Kick!"

Round one was over, and Blue's Kadabra had fallen. The crowd went nuts.

Blue laughed and returned his partner to its Pokéball. "I was just warming up Gold, don't you dare get cocky! Okay, Gust, blow them away!"

Gold grinned. "Shrek, return! C'mon Sora! Show 'em who's better!"

The battle between the two Pigeotto's ended in a draw. They were so evenly matched in power that nobody could find a single difference. Gold sent out Shrek again for another round, but he was quickly defeated by Blue's Wartortle, who's now effectively named Tank. To settle a score, Gold sent out Joey. It was a close match, but somehow (as always) Joey defeated her rival Tank. She returned her starter back into her Pokéball for a rest, and sent out her ace card, the firey Tyson. Blue, strangely enough, decided that now was the time to send out his newly evolved Raticate, named Cheese.

Cheese was a strange Pokémon, in fact even stranger than Erik. Gold took this as an opportunity to gain the upper hand. The crowd was going wild, and even Ricka was getting interested in the battle.

"Tyson, start this off with a leer! Lower its defense!"

Blue covered his eyes from the intense blow and pumped his fist. "Cheese, hang in there! Use Quick Attack!"

"Rat-taticate!" The mouse cried, making no hesitation. Tyson winced at the impact, shoving his opponent off of him forcibly.

"Tyson! Are you okay?" When she got an affirmative, she grinned, "Okay buddy, use Karate Chop! Make it snappy!"

The temperamental Mankey moved so quickly Blue couldn't even see it, and he smashed his paws effectively against Cheese's body. "Cheese!" He yelled, sweating bullets. He knew he shouldn't have sent his Pokémon into battle. He should've just forfeited. He wasn't ready. "Hyper Fang! Come on, are you a quitter?" But Blue Oak wasn't a man to give up.

"Tyson! Seismic Toss!" Gold exclaimed, and the crowd grew into a hushed silence. The two opponents met each other at the middle of the battlefield. Gold, seemingly unaware of what was at stake, cheered on her friend as he forcibly grabbed the already weakened Raticate with his paws. A critical hit was all it took for the inevitable win, and Cheese lay limp on the stadium floor. Tyson, revved up by his victory, bounced back onto Gold's shoulder.

She let out an excited cheer as the crowd and her sister clapped their hands. She didn't notice Blue returning his fallen Pokémon, a sullen look on his face. He let out a bitter laugh and shook his feelings off, slapping his rival on the back, congratulating her victory.

* * *

**Author's note: Phew. *flips over table* Boy, you guys don't know how difficult it was to put this chapter together. There were so many different routes I could go regarding the S.S Anne, because I wanted to stick firmly to the game at first. The S.S. Anne (in my opinion) is one of the most strangest ships in the history of the Pkmn games. Not to mention the anime showed off her creepily as well. *shudder* That's why it took so long to post this chapter. Not because I was struggling with writers block, but because I went through so many versions of this chapter before I finally found one that fit. And enter in stage left, Ricka Constant! She was portrayed as Gold's rival in Maverick Kay Prime's Constant Box, the chapter being titled "The Gold Constant" so I thought, what if I explain how their rivalry started? I figured a tournament of sorts (something similar to what they have in the anime) would be perfect! And sadly, due to plot convenience, Ace the Sceptile won't be on her team this time. But Leda is! She's awesome. xD Apologies again for how long this took. Thanks again to Maverick for allowing me to borrow Ricka. :) Hope you like the role she plays! **


End file.
